Three things learnt as Everton frustrated Manchester United at Old Trafford

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You can’t keep Ibrahimovic out of a game for long

Nobody really expected Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s return to the side to be a quiet game, did they?

Although he was nowhere near his rip-roaring best against Everton, he still has a knack of popping up at the right moments and ensuring that he has the final say on affairs – as was the case last night.

Denied inside the opening five minutes by a crunching Ashley Williams block when put clean through on goal, the story of the Swede’s night up until the 70^th minute was just a tale of wasteful finishing.

Perhaps a bit rusty after a few weeks out of action he was lacking his customary clinical edge; the 35-year-old has now missed 18 clear cut chances this Premier League season, more than anyone else.

Yet he has an aptitude to turn up at important moments, nearly firing his side level with a header that was deemed – controversially – offside, before being calmness personified in the dying seconds of the game to send Robles the wrong way from the spot and slot into the corner of the net.

After missing his previous penalty in the 1-1 draw against Bournemouth at Old Trafford, costing his side all three points, there would have been immense pressure on his shoulders and he coped well.

With United now four points adrift of Manchester City ahead of their trip to Chelsea this evening, and with Arsenal breathing down their necks, the Swede will prove vital to the Reds’ top four hopes.

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